by Dana Delamar
“We are?”
Who was this man standing before me, confessing to a long-held desire for a triad? “You never let on.”
Dev snorted. “How could I? If I’d given you an inch, you’d have insisted on the whole foot.”
I shot Dev a sexy grin. “You are quite hung, mate, but a foot? No need to exaggerate.”
Dev punched my shoulder. “Sod off.”
I took his hand and marveled at the sensation of having his palm against mine. Aside from Sky, I’d never done this before, held hands with anyone. Somehow, it felt more intimate than kissing.
“Whatever happens with Sky, we’re not going back to how we were before, yeah? I know you don’t want to be out. At least not yet. We’ll take it one day at a time.” I swallowed and pushed down the fear rising in my throat. “I-I can’t lose you again, Dev.”
“You won’t lose me. I can’t be that man anymore. I need to be me, not who my family wants me to be.”
“I wish the two could be one and the same.”
Dev lowered his gaze and bit his bottom lip. “I do too.”
I slid my hand behind his head. He looked up and I held his gaze. “I also don’t want to lose Sky.”
“Then we’re on the same page.”
“For once.” I winked.
Dev barked out a laugh. “Oh, I can think of a few other instances when that’s happened.”
The sparkle in his eyes, the playful tone in his voice, lit me up like a fireworks display. I gripped his hair and pulled his head back to kiss that long perfect neck. “I want you so fucking much.”
He moaned, his back arching into me. “Here?”
“You kinky bastard,” I said and smacked his firm ass. “I was thinking of our bungalow.”
“Yeah? What do you have in mind?”
“Race you there? Winner decides.”
“Righto.”
As soon as his acceptance was out, I dropped my hands from his sexy body and took off running toward our bungalow. Unfortunately, Dev was much more fit than I, and it wasn’t long before he caught up to and even surpassed me.
By the time I reached the bungalow, the door was already open. Dev’s shirt lay on the floor. Like Hansel and Gretel, I follow the trail of crumbs, in this case Dev’s clothing, and found him naked in the shower.
My pulse quickened at the sight of him underneath the spray, all that wet brown skin begging to be licked. I quickly shed my jeans, boxers, and shirt. I opened the shower door. “Care for some company?”
Dev smirked. “What took you so long, old man?”
“Old man? Bugger off, you wanker. I’ve naught but a month on you.”
“Must be all that hard living then, the sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll.”
“Again, I repeat, bugger off.”
Dev reached down and wrapped his hand around his long, mouthwatering cock. When he began to stroke it lazily, I groaned. I wanted it in my mouth, I wanted Dev’s taste on my tongue.
I fell to my knees and pressed Dev against the shower wall, my hands on his thighs. He hit it with a sigh I barely heard as my mouth engulfed his crown. I licked all around it, savoring the drops of pre-cum leaking from the tip. I loved the weight of him in my mouth, the stretch of my lips around the flared head of his cock.
Dev moaned and his fingers raked my shoulders. I shivered. How would those nails feel on my arse? He pushed on my shoulders. Ignoring him, I relaxed my jaw and took him in deeper, to the root.
Dev shook, and he shouted, “Rod. Wait.”
I looked up then and slowly released him. “What’s the matter?”
“I want to… to show you how much you mean to me.” The nervous quaver in his voice and the multitude of possibilities he’d implied went straight to my cock. It pulsed against my abdomen.
“How?” I asked.
“I want to know what it feels like to give myself to you.”
He looked vulnerable and adorable and so fucking sexy as his eyes met mine. I shot to my feet and touched his cheek. “Are you certain? You don’t have to, you know.”
Dev licked his lips. “I want to feel you inside me.”
“Oh fuck.”
I smacked my palm on the tap to turn the water off and practically dragged Dev to my bed. He laughed when I rather forcefully helped him onto the mattress, making him bounce a few times.
“Eager?”
“You’ve no idea how many times I’ve imagined this.” It was hundreds of times, maybe thousands. My hands shook as they retrieved a condom and lube from the drawer in the nightstand.
“Did you wank off when you did?” Dev asked, his tone pure aroused male.
“Christ, Dev. If you talk dirty to me, I’ll come before I can get inside you.” Already my cock was leaking and my bollocks tingled.
“Oh, come now, I’ve heard the tales about your stamina. Or were they simply urban legends?”
“Nothing but a load of poppycock, at least where you’re concerned.”
“Am I so special then?” Dev teased.
I knelt between his spread thighs and pushed his legs up and over, so his knees were at his shoulders, which left his pretty hole perfectly exposed. I growled as want claimed me. “You know you are.”
Before he could respond, I swept my tongue along the crease between his arse cheeks. Dev’s reaction was immediate. He shouted and laid his hands on top of mine where they held his legs up. “Oh fuck, Rod!”
I circled my tongue around the puckered muscle, then speared it inside. Dev’s head came forward, then slammed back against the pillows.
“Dirty enough for you?” I asked between forays.
“Bloody hell, Rod. If I’d known what you could do with that mouth…”
I thrust my tongue back inside his ass. Dev gasped. His eyes closed. Oh, this was fun. “What would you have done?”
He opened his eyes, met mine. “I-I’d not have wasted so much time.”
“Fuck.” Dev had no idea how completely he owned me. How completely I was his. And to have him give himself to me like this, well, it meant everything.
I reached for the lube and squirted some on my finger. I pressed it into his hole while I continued to lick around it. I wanted him to be as ready as possible for me. I added a second, and paused when Dev hissed. “Okay, mate?”
“Yeah,” Dev said breathlessly. “Give me a second.” I held still, except for my tongue, which I used to lap at his bollocks. I took one into my mouth. “Oh! Fuck. Oh, that feels…”
I laughed and the vibration made him moan. Pre-cum leaked from his tip. It was my sign. I thrust my finger in and out of his ass, changed the angle and tapped his prostate.
Boom!
Dev yelled and kicked up his legs. “Now. Rod, Fuck me now.”
Christ, the look on his face—a look I’d put there—would be my undoing. My hands shook as I rolled on the condom and smoothed some lube onto it. I held his legs behind his knees and pulled him up onto my thighs, positioning his hole perfectly. I released one of his legs and pushed my cock down so the head was at his entrance. “Ready?”
He bit his bottom lip in a shy gesture that melted my heart and nodded.
“I’ll make this good for you,” I promised.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You already have.”
I tilted my hips and leaned into him a bit. My cock pushed against his loosened muscle. It stretched and the flared head of my cock slipped in.
Dev groaned. I looked up to see how he was doing. “Breathe,” I said, holding still.
I watched, sweat forming on my brow from the effort of not thrusting into all that tight, delicious heat. I thought my skull might explode from the pressure. The sweet seductive torture.
When Dev’s hips lifted involuntarily, I gave him what he sought and pressed in another inch. His cheeks flushed and his eyes met mine. “How is it?” I asked.
“Unimaginable.”
I grinned. “Hold on.” I was about to tilt his world. Slowly, inexorably, I pushed
until I was fully seated inside him.
“Oh fuck.”
I widened my thighs and leaned over him. I took his mouth with mine, kissing him deeply, exploring and tasting every corner. Dev moaned. He gripped my ass cheeks, ground against me, and raked his nails up my back. I shivered and raised up onto my hands. I hovered above him, and began to move in deep, steady, strokes. I kissed him again. His hands roamed my body, touching everywhere they could. Emotions overwhelmed me, and my eyes filled with tears. I was inside Devkinandan, my best friend. The love of my life. In my arms, I held everything I’d always wanted. My heart was his. “I love you,” I whispered.
“I love you too, John.”
“Oi mate, who the fuck is John?”
Dev laughed. “No, jaan.” He spelled it for me. “It means ‘my life.’”
Warmth filled my chest. “You’re my life too.”
All our secrets were out in the open. We’d been laid bare. I felt shredded, flayed open. Raw and elemental.
I shifted my hips, pounding into Dev, making sure to hit his prostate with each thrust. Through it all, I held his stare. Saw the lust, the love, the wonder in his sweet face. Reaching between us, I fisted his cock and gave it several strong pulls.
“Rod. I’m going to… Oh fuck!” Dev arched, and his eyes rolled back. His cock swelled in my hand and then hot spunk coated my fingers.
I pressed my weight onto him, gave two more thrusts and joined him in ecstasy.
Once I return to consciousness, I rolled off Dev and tucked him into my side. “How do you feel?”
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it sure as shit wasn’t the glow of happiness I saw on his face. I chuckled. “You look like you enjoyed that.”
“I might have done.”
I kissed his nose. “Wanker.”
“I might have done that too.”
“I fucking missed you. Missed this. Us.”
He ran his fingers lightly over my chest. It felt good. Better than good. It felt right.
“I know you meant the teasing and joking,” he said, his tone suddenly serious. “Losing that was one of the things I was most afraid of.”
I trapped his fingers and brought them to my lips. “You were always my best mate, even when we weren’t talking. There’s never been anyone else…” My words trailed off, because what I’d been about to say wasn’t exactly true anymore, was it?
“Except Sky?”
I nodded. “I want her with us.” I pressed his hand to my chest. “I know I can be happy with just you and me.” I looked at him. “You are enough for me. But if I’m honest, I think we can all be happier together: you, me, and Sky.”
“So that means there’s only one thing left to do.”
We grinned at each other. “Win her back!” We spoke in tandem and high-fived each other.
Just like old times, only better.
Chapter 12
ROD
Tahiti had left its mark on me. On all of us. And I wanted a way to commemorate it. Sky had saved King’s Cross. Not only that, but she’d made us a better band. A stronger, more dynamic one.
King’s Cross wasn’t just Dev and me anymore. It was all of us, even sodding Nigel. And I wanted to make sure everyone knew it.
Vanessa helped make the arrangements, and it wasn’t long before the tattoo artists arrived at the resort. Three of them, ready to brand us all with a slightly changed-up version of our band logo.
We gathered on the beach, beside the remnants of last night’s birthday bonfire for Sky. Dev and I had gone looking for her this morning, but apparently, she’d decided to take her parents on a little sightseeing jaunt around the island. No doubt she was avoiding us, but she couldn’t do that forever.
We wouldn’t let her.
Dev and I had already stripped off our shirts and taken seats in the first two chairs sitting in the shade. My stomach flipped; I wasn’t entirely sure Dev would like the design.
I wasn’t even sure he really wanted to do this. His family wasn’t exactly big on tattoos. In fact, I remember his mum moaning about the first one I’d got, and threatening Dev with bloody murder if he ever got one.
I looked over at him as the others started filing over to us, all of them, including Nigel, looking a bit the worse for wear, even though it was well past noon.
I probably would have felt the same if it weren’t for what had happened between Dev and me last night.
He’d given himself to me.
All of him.
He’d sworn I’d never lose him.
My heart was so full it felt like I’d burst with happiness. But then my eyes fell to the ashes of last night’s fire, and I remembered who wasn’t there.
Sky.
My throat tightened. This really was all my fault. If I hadn’t been such a selfish, fucking bastard, we could’ve been together and happy all this time.
And Sky wouldn’t be hurting right now.
But I’d fix it. I had a plan. And she was never going to doubt how I felt or how Dev felt about her again.
This was our last day in Tahiti. Tonight was our gig in Papeete. And Sky was going to be ours, heart, body, and soul, starting tonight, if I had anything to say about it.
Damon scrubbed a hand over his jaw and yawned. “So… we here to ogle you two or what?” he asked.
I leaned forward and flexed for him. “While I’m sure that has its appeal,” I said, kissing my bicep and making the guys groan, “that’s not why you’re here.”
I gestured to Manua, the tattoo artist who’d worked with me. “I want us all to get these.” Manua held up a drawing of the tattoo. It was a stylized cross with a crown, similar to our band logo, but Manua had added Tahitian touches to the design.
I looked from Damon, to Tommy, then Mick, then Jules, and lastly at Dev, a lump forming in my throat. “I know I’ve been a fucking prick these last few months, and I nearly tore the band apart, and I treated all of you like second-class citizens.”
Then I looked at Nigel. “And I treated you like something I’d scraped off my shoe.” He started to wave off what I was saying, but I held up a hand to stop him. “No, mate, I need to say this. I didn’t want to listen to what you and Sonic High and Reeling were saying about our sound. I didn’t want anything to change. And I didn’t know how to fix things with Dev. Unfortunately, you bore the brunt of my frustration. And…” I paused, wanting to be sure he was really listening. “I’m sorry.”
Nigel blinked at me for a second, then held his hand up to his ear. “Care to repeat that?”
Bleeding wanker. But I deserved it. “I’m sorry, Nigel. And I owe you everything, because you didn’t let me walk away from the band. We wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for you.”
He gave me a crooked grin and nodded. “Please tell me this isn’t a sign of the Apocalypse. Hot Rod Taylor apologizing. Wasn’t sure it was even possible.”
“I’m a changed man.”
Damon made a buzzing noise like I’d blown a question on a quiz show, and I suppressed a grin. I wasn’t done being a sentimental sap yet.
I coughed and paused for a second, forcing myself not to turn this into a joke like I always did. “I want you all to know that you are my brothers. And that King’s Cross belongs to all us. We’re a band. A tribe of six. Well, seven, including Nigel. And I want everyone to know it.” My voice went a little hoarse.
No one said a word. They all just stared at me like I’d walked on stage naked or something.
Shit. Maybe things weren’t as rosy as I’d thought. “Of course, if you don’t want to—”
“I’m in,” Dev said.
“Me too,” Damon said.
“Me three,” Tommy chimed in.
Jules and Mick looked at each other and started taking off their shirts. “We’re in,” they said in unison.
Nigel began unbuttoning his shirt. “This is the one and only tattoo I will ever get.”
I blew out the breath I’d been holding, taking in their smiles as Damon set
tled into the chair beside mine, and Tommy, Mick, Jules, and Nigel sat down on the logs around the fire to wait their turns.
Damon leaned over to me, a grin on his face. “You aren’t half the asshole you’d like everyone to believe.” He tapped me on the sternum. “Might even be a heart in there after all.”
“Sod off,” I said, unable to keep from laughing.
He shook his head, laughing as well. “Now will someone please explain why you all seem to think that’s an insult? Might as well be saying ‘Turf off!’”
We all started howling with laughter. I clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re a Yank bastard, through and through. But you’re our Yank bastard.”
That made him laugh harder, and it took us a while to settle down for our tattoos. The artists had just started transferring the designs to our skin when Damon said, “Okay. But seriously. Can someone explain?”
Tommy shook his head. “You’re bloody hopeless!”
Damon shrugged. “I like to think I’m charming.”
“You’re… something, all right,” I said, and then we were all laughing again.
It felt good, even as the tattoo needle bit into my skin. “We’re going to slay that crowd tonight,” I said.
And Dev and I were going to win back our girl.
SKY
Vanessa, Daniel, and Nigel had done a great job finding a location for King’s Cross’s surprise gig in Papeete. The bar was big enough to hold about two hundred people, but intimate enough that it felt cozy, like a special night between the band and its fans. They’d worked with a couple local radio stations and given away fifty tickets, selling out the rest in minutes.
A huge crowd was milling around outside, hoping to get in, but the extra security the label had brought in were firm about keeping them out. They’d just have to settle for the video clips that Vanessa was having recorded for YouTube and the live Facebook stream that Vanessa had been doing off and on throughout the evening. She was in her element, her face glowing as she showed Daniel how King’s Cross’s and TI’s followers on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook were exploding.
“You’re a social media genius,” Daniel said to her and raised his drink. “To Vanessa!”